Putin's political pause amid national mobilization

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​As if trying to compensate for his recent “disappearance” in early
March, President Vladimir Putin participated in a series of
high-intensity meetings and public events last week.

​The focal point for the “patriotic” propaganda for the last several
months has been the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet
Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War (as World War II is known in
Russia), which is now just a few days away. Reflections on the horrible
costs of that bitter victory or on coalition efforts with the Allies
have been nearly nonexistent; instead, jingoistic triumphalism, combined
with the traditional display of military might, translates into an
eager anticipation of yet another victorious campaign. Putin has
invested a lot of personal effort in turning this celebration into a
demonstration of Russia’s prominent position in the international arena,
and now has to swallow not only the fruits of isolation but also the
consequences of progressing economic feebleness. The artificially
induced moment of national unity will likely dissipate with
unpredictable speed in the weeks to come, so his window for a new
morale-boosting aggressive action may turn out to be quite narrow.